Barlow defeated in soccer championship

Updated 3:00 pm, Saturday, November 16, 2013

Farmington hoists the championship trophy after its 4-0 win over Joel Barlow in the CIAC Class L high school boys soccer championship game at Municipal Stadium in Waterbury, Conn. on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2013.

Farmington hoists the championship trophy after its 4-0 win over Joel Barlow in the CIAC Class L high school boys soccer championship game at Municipal Stadium in Waterbury, Conn. on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2013.

Farmington goalie Jeffrey Crook makes a save as Joel Barlow's Will Bracken attempts a header in Farmington's 4-0 win over Joel Barlow in the CIAC Class L high school boys soccer championship game at Municipal Stadium in Waterbury, Conn. on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2013. less

Farmington goalie Jeffrey Crook makes a save as Joel Barlow's Will Bracken attempts a header in Farmington's 4-0 win over Joel Barlow in the CIAC Class L high school boys soccer championship game at Municipal ... more

Joel Barlow's Jake Paltauf, left, battles Farmington's Michael Lathrop for the ball in Farmington's 4-0 win over Joel Barlow in the CIAC Class L high school boys soccer championship game at Municipal Stadium in Waterbury, Conn. on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2013. less

Joel Barlow's Jake Paltauf, left, battles Farmington's Michael Lathrop for the ball in Farmington's 4-0 win over Joel Barlow in the CIAC Class L high school boys soccer championship game at Municipal Stadium in ... more

Joel Barlow players take a moment during an injury to Dylan Cheung (12) in Farmington's 4-0 win over Joel Barlow in the CIAC Class L high school boys soccer championship game at Municipal Stadium in Waterbury, Conn. on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2013. less

Joel Barlow players take a moment during an injury to Dylan Cheung (12) in Farmington's 4-0 win over Joel Barlow in the CIAC Class L high school boys soccer championship game at Municipal Stadium in Waterbury, ... more

Farmington's Sabri Akter (14) celebrates his goal with teammate Kamil Kolacz (11) in Farmington's 4-0 win over Joel Barlow in the CIAC Class L high school boys soccer championship game at Municipal Stadium in Waterbury, Conn. on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2013. less

Farmington's Sabri Akter (14) celebrates his goal with teammate Kamil Kolacz (11) in Farmington's 4-0 win over Joel Barlow in the CIAC Class L high school boys soccer championship game at Municipal Stadium in ... more

Farmington's Evan Peluso hoists the championship trophy after his team's 4-0 win over Joel Barlow in the CIAC Class L high school boys soccer championship game at Municipal Stadium in Waterbury, Conn. on Saturday, Nov. 16, 2013. less

Farmington's Evan Peluso hoists the championship trophy after his team's 4-0 win over Joel Barlow in the CIAC Class L high school boys soccer championship game at Municipal Stadium in Waterbury, Conn. on ... more

Akter scored two goals in the first eight minutes, including one 42 seconds in, to lift eighth-seeded Farmington to a 4-0 victory over No. 2 Joel Barlow in the Class L state title game on Saturday afternoon at Municipal Stadium.

It was a highly anticipated match between what had been considered two of the best teams in the state throughout the season, but it turned out to be an 80-minute coronation for the Indians. One of Connecticut's true soccer powers, Farmington has won two straight Class L titles and four of the last six.

Akter wasted no time making his presence felt and letting the Falcons know the Indians were not interested in relinquishing their hold on the title.

A failed clear by the Barlow defense gave Akter a clear path in on goal and he didn't waste the chance, sending a low shot skipping across the turf and past Falcons goalie Peter Cohen to give the Indians a 1-0 lead.

Akter struck again with 32:08 left in the half, this time cleaning up a rebound after hustling to the far post. Evan Hughes possessed on the left side and made a nice move to gain some space and sent a shot in on frame. Cohen made the save, tipping the shot away but Akter was there for the rebound and a 2-0 lead for the Indians.

"I was surprised to get a clear run but I was able to slip in there and take advantage," Akter said. "The first goals was big and after the second we were even more pumped up. It felt like we went from giving 100 percent to 200 percent."

Understandably Farmington was boosted by the early tallies by Akter and on the flip side Barlow was deflated. The Falcons couldn't get Will Bracken, Corey Levine or Drew LaGaipa free in the final third and the threat of Akter and the Indians popping in another one was there throughout the game.

"I'm not really sure what to chalk it up to other than nerves," Barlow coach Paul Winstanley said. "It wasn't like Farmington did anything we hadn't accounted for or that we weren't prepared for, they just came out and played well and we didn't. We exposed ourselves and when that happens you get a result like we got because Farmington was ready to take advantage."

Matt Sroka and Colin Cheesman scored four minutes apart early in the second half for Farmington and extinguished any chances of a Barlow comeback.

Sroka turned and lofted a floater from about 25 yards out that was perfectly placed and got over top of Cohen to make it 3-0 with a little over 30 minutes to play. If Sroka's goal didn't end it, Cheesman's certainly did as he out worked the Falcons defense to get to the ball in the box and flicked one home from about 15 yards out to extend the lead to 4-0.

It was a stunning turn of events for Barlow, which won its first three tournament games by a combined 9-1, including 3-0 shutouts in the quarter finals and the semifinals. But on Saturday nothing the Falcons did worked and the Indians were close on more than a few times to turning this one into a real rout.

"Their style fit how we like to play perfectly," Farmington coach Steve Waters said. "We are a go to the goal team and you saw that today. We played well and it was like any other game out the for us."

The loss ends a strong season for the Falcons (19-2-1), whose only other setback was to Brookfield on penalty kicks in the SWC Tournament title game. The season will look good down the road when the Falcons look back on it but after failing in their bid to win a state title for the first time since 2007 the initial reaction was shock and surprise as such a one-sided outcome.

"We had a great season, but today we just didn't show up," Winstanley said. "We just didn't seem invested in the game and willing to do what to took to get back in it. Nerves, the big stage, whatever it was we didn't respond and the early goals against us just compounded it."